Mirror view game



Oct. 8, 1963 G, RUSHING, JR 3,106,402

MIRROR VIEW GAME Filed July 27, 1960 y then spins the tumbler.

United States Patent 3,106,402 y MIRROR VIEW GAME George Rushing, Jr., 7504 W. 12th St., Little Rock, Ark. Filed July 27, 1960, Ser. No. 45,742

1 Claim. (Cl. 273-144) y 5 'Iltis invention relates to a mirror view game. The objects of the invention are to provide a game which can be played by any desired number of players and in which the moves or plays are determined by a ball type indicator which comes into view in a mirror, a quantity .of such balls being contained in an ovoidal shaped tumbler having batlies therein and an opening in which .a ball comes to rest, the ball projecting into said opening sufficiently to be viewed in the mirror. Other objects are to provide a game of the kind de scribed in which the essential elements are a tumbling container mounted on an upright support extending upwardly from a platform, said platform being covered by a mirror or similar reflecting viewer, said container having mixing baflies therein, an opening at its bottom Iand a set,u

of balls or like indicators. Y Other objects will become Iapparent from the appended specilic description, drawings :and claim, but it is to be `understood that changes, variations and improvements may be made within the scope fand spirit of the inventionand that the intention is not to -be limited to the exact form or forms of the apparatus or the elements thereof v herein specifically described, except within the scope of the claim. 3

In the use of the game apparatus, the play may be varied in many ways, but by way of illustration and example, the several play indicators herein shown may be used. The play starts by each playei selecting a desired play indicator of whatever color, or set of numbers, or letters, or colors and letters or numbers, or names he wants. The first player to make a move is determined by spinning the tumbler and seeing which ball appears. That player who has the ycorresponding play indicator Whichever ball appears in the next player to make a move. As each ball appears, the corresponding player makes a move or rotation on his play indicator. This continues until one of the players has completed a full set of moves. He is then the winner.

ln the drawings:

FIGURE l is a perspective view yof one vform of game embodying the features of the instant invention;

i FIGURE 2 is an enlanged sectional view taken substantially along the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1 asV viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows; Y 50 FIGURE 3 is an enlarged sectional view Itaken substantially along the line 3-3 of FIGURE l 'as viewed in the direction yindicated by the larrows;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken subst-antially along the line 4-4 of FIGURE l as viewed in the 55 direction indicated by the arrows;

FIGURE 5 is la plan view of one form of score indicator used with the apparatus of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 6 is a view similar to FIGURE 5 which shows a modiied form of scoring device, and 6 FIGURE 7 is a View similar to FIGURES 5V and 6 but showing a still further modified form of scoring indicator.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several Views of the drawings. Having reference now tothe drawings in detail, the` device of the 65 instant invention generally indicated at 10, comprises a base 11 which .is preferably circular in form, although any other desired coniig'uration may |be used. The base 11 is mounted on suitable `rubber feet 12 or the like, and has an ,annular ilange or rim 13 thereaboutl An up- 70 wardly facingmirror or other reiiector 14 is mounted interiorly of the flange 13.

0 container lthrough the opening 23.

p 3,106,402 Patented Oct. 8, 1963 ice A pair of spaced bores 15 extend through mirror 14 into lthe upper surface of the base 11 and have positioned therein the lower ends of a pair of spaced uprights or standards 116, suitable setlscrews 16 being employed to hold the uprights in fixed position.

The upper ends of the uprights 16 are arcuate land terminate in subsidiary portions 117, each of which is apertured on its inner side to receive a bolt or axle 18, suitable bushings 19 Ybeing provided adjacent the inner sides of 0 the portions 17.

A generally ovoidal container )generally indicated at 20 is rotatably mounted on axle 18 in off-center position so that its smaller end is normally positioned downwardly by gravity. The container 20 includes oppositely disposed iiat sides 21, and an ovoidal rim 22 which is provided at its smallest extremity with an opening 23.

rOne of side walls 21 is provided adjacent its upper extremity with ran opening 23', which may be closed in any desired manner, ashy means of a conventional plastic cap 24 provided with a ringer tab 25. Interiorly of container 20 there are positioned a pair of oppositely disposed normally horizontal baffle plates 27 located slightly below the axle 18 and beneath plates 27 a pair of inwardly converging arcuate baiiies 28 terminate in spaced-apart relation to form an opening 29, the ends of baflles 28 being reverted inwardly -as at 30 and secured to the inner side of rim 22.

A plurality of balls 31 which may be of ditferent colors, or which may otherwise be suitably marked with appropriate indicia to distinguish them apart, are inserted in the Any desired number of balls may be used, the balls being of a diameter slightly less than that of opening 29 and slightly greater than that of the -opening 23, so that when container 20 is rotated or spun about the axle .18, one, and no more than one, of the balls 31 will seat in and be visible through the opening Z3 from the bottom of the container. Obviously rotation of the container about its axle 1S will unseat the lowermost ball and by tumbling the balls in the container by means of the blames 27 and 28, will rearrange the same so that the same or another ball will randomly seat in the opening `after the spin.

Under certain circumstances the bottom ball may no-t be readily visible to a person sitting in position to view the mirror 14. 'Ilo overcome this diioulty a small mirror 32 5 is rotatably mounted on axle 33 which extends between the uprights 16 at a point offset from and below the bo-ttom of the container 20.

When it is desired to illuminate the device due to faulty lighting of the surroundings, a ilashlight, 34 may be employed, a spring clip 35 secured to one of the standards 16 serving asia convenient means for holding such a ashlight in position.

The color of the ball showing through the opening indicates the winner of each individual'toss, and a selected Y number of balls following in a desired sequence may determine the winner of the game. Any suitable playing rules may be adopted and any desired score board may be employed.

One form of score board is shown in FIGURE 5 0 wherein a base 40 is provided with a longitudinally extending rod 41 which is supported on integral uprights 42 in spaced relation to the part 40, the rod 41 having mounted thereon a plurality of balls 43 of various colors, each of which is centrally pierced to receive the rod 41. Obviously the innermost colored ball may be moved from one side of the device to the other when a ball v31 of the same color appears in the opening 2.3.V

A modified score board is disclosed in FIGURE 6 wherein a plurality of letters 45 are positioned in blocks V46 formed on the board 47 and a selected colored block 48 is positioned adjacent each letter. When the balls of the associated colors appear in the opening 23 a suitable marker may be used to indicate that that letter has been indicated, and when all of the letters have been indicated sequentially or otherwise in accordance with the play rules, that player who first fills his board is considered the winner.

A further modied form of score board is shown in FIGURE 7, fwherein a base `S0 is provided with a plurality of transverse rows of openings `Sli, the openings being adapted to be progressively iilled by a colored peg 52, the peg being moved downwardly one space as a corresponding color or other indicia appears on a ball in the opening 23.

'Prom the foregoing it will now be seen that there is herein provided an improved mirror v iew game which accomplishes all of the objects of this invention and others, including many advantages of high entertainment and commercial importance. As many embodiments may be made of this inventive concept, and as many modiiications may be made in the embodiments hereinbefore shown and described, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted merely as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

In a game construction, the combination of a base, a mirror on `the top of said base, a pair of uprights mounted on said base, an axle extending between said uprights, a generally ovoidal container having an opening in its smal-l end rotatably supported on said axle between said uprights in Van ofi-center position so that its small end is normally down, baffles in said container, and a plurality of balls each having different indicia in said container, said opening being of a diameter less than that of a ball so that a single ball is exposed in said opening and visible in said mirror, said bales including a pair of spaced, normally horizontal bafiies positioned below said axle when said opening is down and a pair oi' arcuate converging guide baies having their converging ends spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the diameter of a ball and positioned adjacent to but spaced from said opening, normally vertical walls extending downwardly from said converging ends, and horizontal Walls extending from the ends of said vertical Walls and spaced from said opening a distance less than the diameter of a ball, said container having a pair of opposed at ovoidal sides, one of said sides having an opening for the insertion of said balls and a removable closure for said opening.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 560,874 Walter May 26, 1896 2,086,296 Gilbert July 6, 1937 2,233,589 -Dean Mar. 4, 1941 2,639,153 Murray May 19, 1953 2,985,453 Matisz May 23, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 481 Great Britain 1900 399,442 Great Britain Oct. 5, 1933 

